1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to necks for stringed musical instruments, and, more particularly, to a solid neck comprised of carbon fibers, powdered carbon and epoxy resin which results in an instrument of moderate weight with improved stability and tonal qualities.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The necks of stringed instruments made of wood tend to warp and bend due to changes in temperature and humidity combined with the stresses placed upon the neck by the strings themselves. Prior art improvements in neck construction have included the addition of metal truss rods to stiffen the neck. Other prior art has incorporated laminated neck structures, more elaborate truss structures, and the casting of necks of metal, such as aluminum.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,084,476 discloses a neck for stringed musical instruments wherein an elongated reinforcing member, or members, made of a material having a high modulus of elasticity, form part of the body of the neck. A preferred material for this reinforcing member or members was a composite material consisting of graphite filaments embodied in a resin matrix. U.S. Pat. No. 4,145,948 goes beyond the use of graphite fiber reinforced plastic material as an included reinforcing member, and discloses a neck, consisting of a lower laminate structure of channel-shaped cross-section which is closed by a neck plate to form a hollow neck structure. The lower neck closed channel structure is fabricated in one piece, utilizing graphite fibers preimpregnated and embodied in polymeric resin matrix material, such as epoxy, with the grpahite fibers oriented longitudinally in the direction of the neck. An upper neck plate is bonded to the lower neck structure, and a separate fingerboard is bonded to the upper surface of the upper neck plate. A manner of manufacture of the graphite composite material is disclosed as being molded under pressure at an elevated temperature, the cured components then being machined by conventional techniques and adhesively bonded together to produce the hollow neck beam structure.
The prior art in necks for stringed instruments utilizing carbon fibers and epoxy resin material has utilized a hollow segmented structure, which structure tends to have problems of warpage and delamination. Hollow segmented necks also may have discontinuities, such as gaps and air spaces along lines of lamination, which reduce the transmission of sound through the neck and which may produce tonal distortions.
What is needed is an improved neck of moderate weight for stringed instruments which minimizes discontinuities within the neck structure to allow maximum transmission of sound along and through the neck. The neck should be structurally stable to provide appropriate strength and stiffness without warpage and delamination.